Improvement in spiral-current water-wheels



waited swat strut Qtjitinr.

Letters Patent No. 99,272 dated J anuary 25, 1870.

IMPROVEMENT IN SPIRAL-CURRENT WATER-WHEELS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of thesame.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J om: ZIMMERMAN, of Owatonna, in the county ofSteele, and State of Minnesota, have invented anew and usefulImprovement in Water- Wheels; and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enableothers skilled in the artto make and use thesame, reference being bad tothe accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in that class of water-wheelsconsisting of spiral vanes attached to a shaft, and working in a hollowcylinder.

The invention consists in an improved form of the said spiral vane, andmode of attaching it to the shaft.

Figure 1 represents a longitudinal section of the cylindrical caseandside view of the wheel, and

Figure- 2 represents an end view of the wheel.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The distinguishing feature of the form of the vane of my improved wheellies in the concavity of the same, which, to obtain the best resultsfrom the pressnm of the water, as I have ascertained by practicalexperiment, should be .such as to prevent, as much as possible, anycentrifugal tendency of the water toward the inner surface of thecylinder, which is the case to a considerable degree in other wheelshaving little or no concavity of thesaid vanes.

My invention further consists in connecting these vanes to theshaft, bywinding around the same about two-thirds the distance, leaving a spaceor channel between the termination of the vane and the base of theconcave face, whereon the water acts, as at A, thereby increasing thearea of the etfective surface, While preserving a sufficient degree ofstrength to the shaft.

1) represents the vane, and

c, the shaft.

This wheel is well adapted for use as a currentwheel, and may be made ofany size, to pass large volumes of water at a slow rate. It is also welladapted to be used under. a fall.

It will be perceived, from inspection of fig. 1, that the concavity ofmy bucket is outward, and at the greatest practicable distance from theaxis of the wheel. The object of this construction is to cause the waterto impinge upon and exercise its continuous force, until it passes fromthe wheel, at the greatest radial distance from the shaft. Of course,the longer the radius or distance of the point of impingement of thewater from the said shaft, the greater the leverage obtained, and thegreater the percentage of current-force utilized.

Now, spiral wheels to work undera head, and spiral wheels to work in acurrent, have been used for a great many years, but they have never beenconstructed with con'cavities, so as to concentrate the force of thewater on the-buckets at the greatest radial distance from the shaft. 0nthe contrary, the water has been received at the hub, and, by thecentrifugal force imparted to it in its rotation, has created anenormousfriction, which necessitated a very great loss of power.

My object is to remove this retarding eifect of the centrifugal action,and to apply the power of the water at the greatest leverage.

Having thus described my invention,

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A current water-wheel, having a spiral bucket, whose'conca'vity isoutward, and mainly at the great est practicable distance from theshaft, as shown and described.

2. A bucket, attached to its shaft by windinga portion thereof spirallyabout the same, but leaving an open channel, a, as and for the purposespecified.

Vitnesscs: JOHN ZIMMERMAN.

H. H. JOHNSON, JAMES O. Oams'rrn.

